Job Description

Working/Functional Title

Law Clinical Supervising Attorney

Position Summary

The College of Law Indian Law Clinical Supervising Attorney will assist the Indian Law Clinic Director in supervising law students in a clinical setting and managing the case work of the Clinic’s Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) cases. This involves everything from direct representation to technical assistance. The Clinic works closely with the Native American Rights Fund and others to ensure the best possible representation for tribes at both the trial and appellate levels. The College of Law Indian Law Clinical Supervising Attorney will help supervise law students and represent tribal governments in appellate cases in state and federal court involving the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), as well as work on policy issues related to the ICWA, Title IV-E funding, and state laws involving Native children.  The Clinic also works closely with in-house tribal attorneys and the Tribal In-House Counsel Association to provided any needed ICWA information or training. The Clinic provides dynamic support to tribes depending on the cases and issues that arise in the field, and through this, educates future attorneys on litigation strategy, client relations, appellate writing skills, and policy analysis.

This position is grant funded for a two-year contract.  The college intends to obtain additional funding for extension of the initial contact period, but future funding is not guaranteed.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Significant responsibility in supervising the work performed by law students enrolled in the Indian Law Clinic I and Clinic II seminar classes;
• Representation and counseling of tribal governments via their tribal leaders, social workers, and/or attorneys. During semester and breaks, may take responsibility for client representation, including appearance in court, brief writing, and representation before state or federal courts;
• Coordinate with the Director on special projects and research affecting Indian Law Clinic clients;
• Co-teach Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), federal Indian law, and child protection issues as well as professional skills development in areas such as client interviewing and counseling, case file management, and other general law practice management issues to student clinicians during the clinic seminar classes;
• Review student drafted work and participate in supervisory meetings with the Director and students;
• Assist the Director with data collection and reposting to grant funders by managing client caseload data;
• Work with national Native groups, including but not limited to the Native American Rights Fund, Casey Family Programs, Tribal In-House Counsel Association, and the National American Indian Tribal Court Judges Association to coordinate ICWA defense and federal funding for tribal systems policy work;
• Teach an Indian law podium class every third semester, as identified as needed by the Indian Law Clinic and Law College;
• Research and publish as desired on issues relating to child protection, federal Indian law, tribal sovereignty, tribal courts, tribal social service systems, and federal and state policy initiatives.
• Work with states and other organizations on the development of state ICWA laws; and
• Prepare models of outreach and clinic publicity and will be encouraged to bring creative skills and experiences in modifying existing models or in creating new models.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Law

Minimum Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an American Bar Association accredited law school;
• Admission to, or eligibility for admission to, a state bar, preferably the State Bar of Michigan;
• Strong academic background, strong public speaking, research, and writing skills;
• One to five years’ experience involving tribal representation, or work in child welfare court system, or Indian Child Welfare Act-related policy work;
• Admission, or eligible for admission, to various federal courts;
• Working knowledge in either federal Indian law, ICWA, or state child welfare systems; and
• A valid vehicle operator’s license to perform duties of this position.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with the Clio case management system;
• Experience in educating and supervising students;
• Relevant policy experience in child protection arena; and
• Working knowledge in either federal Indian law, Indian Child Welfare Act, and state child welfare systems.

Required Application Materials

• Cover Letter;
• Current Curriculum Vitae or Resume;
• A statement addressing your experience or plans to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the College of Law community; and
• At least three professional references with one preferably being a recent, former, or current supervisor and including full name, title, telephone number and email address.

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Website

Department Statement

Michigan State University College of Law is a diverse and inclusive learning community with roots dating to 1891 when it opened as Detroit College of Law in Detroit, Michigan. It moved to its current East Lansing location in 1995 and remained a private institution until 2020 when it became a fully integrated college of Michigan State University. 

Today, MSU Law has more than 650 students, 55 faculty members, 50 staff members, five librarians, and a world-wide network of some 11,500 alumni. MSU Law operates seven legal clinics overseen by nationally recognized faculty that provide students an opportunity to work on actual legal cases. Additionally, it offers some of nation’s leading law programs in new and emerging legal education, including Intellectual Property and Trial Advocacy, Indigenous Law and Policy Center, the Lori E. Talsky Center for Human Rights of Women and Children, Conservation Law Center, and Animal Legal and Historical Web Center.

MSU College of Law, operating under the principles of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan, is poised to become the state’s preeminent law school, preparing a diverse community of lawyer-leaders to serve diverse communities in Michigan and beyond. It is committed to providing a legal education that is taught by leading scholars in their fields, includes best-in-class experiential opportunities, and helps students graduate without excessive debt.

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

About Michigan State University

Spartans work every day to advance the common good in uncommon ways.Together, we tackle some of the world?s toughest problems to find solutions that make life better?from alternative energy to better food safety to breakthrough medical and environmental applications achieved through rare isotope research.We teach. We explore and we discover. We collaborate and lead. We innovate, inspire, and empower. We achieve our potential and create circumstances that help our students and others achieve theirs.We're good at it, and we've been at it for more than 150 years.The nation?s pioneer land-grant university, MSU began as a bold experiment that democratized higher education and helped bring science and innovation into everyday life. The revolutionary concept became a model for the nation.Today, MSU is one of the top research universities in the world?on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, we?re a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders.In ways both practical and profound, we work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all.

Connections working at Michigan State University

Job Tags

Contract work, Fixed term contract, Remote job, Flexible hours,

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